W.Va. Chamber Reacts to 2014 General Elections
November 5, 2014
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce today offered appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of West Virginians who took time to exercise their right to the vote. This year’s elections brought about historic changes in West Virginia in races from the House of Delegates to the United States Senate. Shelley Moore Capito was elected as the state’s first female United States Senator and the first Republican in 56 years. Republicans also swept all three seats for the U.S. House of Representatives, won a commanding majority in the West Virginia House of Delegates for the first time in over eighty years and won 7 seats to tie the West Virginia State Senate.
Chamber President Steve Roberts commented, “Last night can only be described as a game-changing election. The people of West Virginia spoke with a sure and strong voice that they desire a different direction for our state. The West Virginia Chamber has tremendous appreciation for the historical significance of this election.” When the new Legislature is seated in January, the Republican Party will hold at least a 64-36 seat majority in the House of Delegates, up 17 seats from their 47-53 minority. The outcome of some races is still undecided until the final canvass. In the State Senate, Democrats and Republicans are now tied at 17 seats each, a 7 seat swing that eliminated the 24-10 Democratic majority before last night.
An agenda that includes more jobs, a better standard of living for West Virginia’s working families and help for West Virginia students is the goal of the Chamber. Roberts concluded, “We look forward to working with Governor Tomblin and the newly elected West Virginia Legislature to help accelerate economic and education goals.”